The skinny: Andrew Nicholson is the Atlantic-10 Player of the Year and, at 6-foot-9, a sure-fire NBA prospect. The Bonnies got in as surprise winners of the conference tournament.

(5) Vanderbilt

Record: 24-10

Nickname: Commodores

Coach: Kevin Stallings

Scoring: John Jenkins, 19.9; Jeffery Taylor 16.4; Festus Ezeli 10.0

Last 10: 7-3.

The skinny: After winning the SEC tourney title, Kevin Stallings may be due for a break. He's taken the Commodores to a pair of regional semis, but his teams tend to underachieve in the NCAA Tournament

(12) Harvard

Record: 26-4

Nickname: Crimson

Coach: Tommy Amaker

Scoring: Kyle Casey 11.3; Keith Wright 10.7; Laurent Rivard 9.7

Last 10: 8-2

The skinny: Just one year after Princeton shared the Ivy League title with the Crimson and beat them in a one-game tiebreaker to earn the league's automatic NCAA berth, the Tigers beat Penn to get Harvard in.

(7) Gonzaga

Record: 25-6

Nickname: Bulldogs

Coach: Mark Few

Scoring: Kevin Pangos 13.8; Elias Harris 13.1; Robert Sacre 11.7

Last 10: 8-2

The skinny: His teammates call him "The Machine," and that's what a lot of opponents have called Pangos this season, too. The freshman guard is averaging nearly 14 points a game, but he's capable of much more.

(10) West Virginia

Record: 19-13

Nickname: Mountaineers

Coach: Bob Huggins

Scoring: Kevin Jones 20.1; Darryl Bryant 17.2; Deniz Kilicli 10.7

Last 10: 4-6

The skinny: Kilicli may have the best beard in college basketball. Bob Huggins may have the best monotone voice, at least when he's not riled up on the sidelines. And Kevin Jones is certainly one of the best players.

(8) Kansas State

Record: 21-10

Nickname: Wildcats

Coach: Frank Martin

Scoring: Rodney McGruder 15.4; Jamar Samuels 10.3; Will Spradling 9.5

Last 10: 6-4

The skinny: Frank Martin's teams channel his toughness this time of year. McGruder can score, but Angel Rodriguez has been the steady hand as a freshman point guard. Seven-footer Jordan Henriquez has emerged.

(9) Southern Mississippi

Record: 25-8

Nickname: Golden Eagles

Coach: Larry Eustachy

Scoring: Neil Watson 12.2; LaShay Page 11.5; Darnell Dodson 11.1

Last 10: 5-5

The skinny: Perhaps the time has come for another high-major to give Larry Eustachy a chance. The former Iowa State coach, who resigned amid problems with alcohol, has turned Southern Miss around.

(6) Cincinnati

Record: 24-10

Nickname: Bobcats

Coach: Mick Cronin

Scoring: Sean Kilpatrick 14.3; Dion Dixon 13.1; Yancey Gates 12.4

Last 10: 7-3

The skinny: Cronin did a masterful job getting his team to regroup after a brawl against Xavier. The fight in December resulted in a slew of suspensions, but Cincy managed to turn it on in the Big East.

(11) Texas

Record: 20-13

Nickname: Longhorns

Coach: Rick Barnes

Scoring: J'Covan Brown 20.1; Sheldon McClellan 11.3; Myck Kabongo 9.8

Last 10: 6-4

The skinny: The Longhorns may have needed a win over Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament to slip into the bracket. Watch out for the high-scoring Brown, who poured in 29 at Kansas — in one half.

(4) Wisconsin

Record: 24-9

Nickname: Badgers

Coach: Bo Ryan

Scoring: Jordan Taylor 14.7; Ryan Evans 10.9; Jared Berggren 10.5

Last 10: 6-4

The skinny: Jordan Taylor leads Wisconsin in scoring, assists, steals and three-pointers made, and is among the most efficient point guards in college basketball for the defensive-minded Badgers.

The skinny: Sullinger emerged as one of the nation's best freshmen during the Buckeyes' NCAA run a year ago. After weathering a sophomore swoon, he's been playing some of his best basketball the past few weeks.